Nearly 300 Maoist militia members surrender: Odisha

Malkangiri : As many as 295 active Maoist militia members unarmed villagers who act as sympathisers, informers and aid of the red rebels surrendered before the Odisha Police in Swabhiman Anchal of Malkangiri district, Director General of Police (DGP) SK Bansal said on Sunday.

The militia, comprising members of Gana Natya Sangha and village committees, includes both men and women who hail from Dhakadpadar, Dabuguda, Taber and Arlingpada villages in Jantri gram panchayat area under the jurisdiction of Jodambo Police Station.

They voluntarily came to a BSF camp in Jantri and surrendered before Odisha Police in the presence of Malkangiri district administration on Saturday afternoon, the DGP Bansal said.

The militia members are not cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit but act as their "helping hands", Bansal said.

The surrendered militia members were involved in arson incidents, hoisting of black flags, burning of vehicles, enforcing boycott of elections, arranging food and logistics for Maoists, passing information about movement of security forces, and threatening and assaulting innocent tribals branded as "police informers" and forcing them to leave their homes, he said.